Two nights of violence at an east Belfast interface erupted after St
Matthew’s Church and nationalist homes in the Short Strand came under
attack from fireworks, stones and petrol bombs this week.

Four police officers were injured and two vehicles damaged during
disturbances on Tuesday night.

The trouble began on Tuesday night, when Sinn Féin’s Niall O Donnghaile
said he witnessed the attacks.

“I want to make it very clearly that this cannot and must not be
allowed to develop into a worse situation,” he said the following day.
“Political unionism must make it very clear to those people responsible
for carrying out these attacks that they are unacceptable and must
end.”

Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers blamed the trouble on young
people involved in “recreational rioting”.

But the situtation deteriorated, and vulnerable homes were attacked in
the Strand Walk, Saint Matthews Court and Bryson Court areas of Short
Strand the following night.

Speaking after visiting the homes of “vulnerable pensioners”, Mr O
Donnghaile blasted the attacks which he said were “growing in frequency
and degree, with the much more sinister fact being that the culprits
responsible carried out these attacks after they broke their way into
the grounds of Saint Matthew’s Chapel.

“I am calling very clearly on the political leaders of Unionism in East
Belfast to get their act together and make it very clear to the sick
minded individuals carrying out these attacks that their time has long
gone; this community cannot be subjected to continued attack and
ignored by these same Unionist politicians.

“The PSNI must also understand that taking over six hours to get to the
homes under attacks simply is not good enough, regardless of the
situation. This inevitably led to an increase in both tension and
numbers of those involved.

“The people in these streets need safety and reassurance and the onus
is on them to provide it in a measured and effective way.”

Meanwhile, two Orange halls have been damaged in separate attacks in
County Tyrone, with one sustaining serious fire damage. The attacks
were condemned yesterday by deputy first minister Martin McGuinness.

“Incidents of this kind are a continuing cause of concern for me and I
want to assure the Orange community that I see cultural vandalism as
having no place in the future of our communities,” he said.

“I would support appeals for anyone who would have information to
report that to the police.

“This cultural vandalism has no place in the future we’re committed to
building.”